Cooking With My Mom: Beets in Cumin and Carrots in Caraway

On a recent trip to see my family, I have decided to shoot a video with my mom who was my first and most amazing teacher in the kitchen. This video was shot mostly on a cell phone by two of my beloved brothers (so I apologize for the quality and the sound) though I’m so happy and excited to share a video recipe featuring my sweet mom.

We have prepared two salads which are a staple of my mom cuisine. North African in origin and beautifully spiced. We serve them cold as part of assorted tapas first course, but they can be served hot as a side dish, or as a topping for a mix green, spinach or arugula salad. We made them both at the same time since they are very similar in prep and the only difference in seasoning is cumin vs. caraway. Both are power houses when it comes to medicinal properties.

Cumin health benefits - Caraway health benefits.

Recipe for 6 people

Ingredients:

Cooked 6 beets

Ground cumin

Parsley

Olive oil

Garlic

Lemon

Salt and pepper.

Steps

Boil or roasted the beets to preferred tenderness

Cut them into small wedges

Place in a mixing bowl

Add 1 full tea spoon of ground cumin

Crushed few garlic cloves

Juice from 1 whole lemon

Chopped parsley

Drizzled olive oil

Add salt and pepper to tase.

Enjoy!

Tunisian carrot salad

6 medium to large cooked carrot

Ground caraway seeds

Garlic

Lemon

Slat pepper

Cilantro

Olive oil

Steps

My mom adds Harisa to the mix, which is a Tunisian red pepper spread. ( a very commion and basic condiment in north Africa, packed with flaorss and medium spicy but full of flavor)

Slice the carrot into ½ inche thick slices, and place in a mixing bowl

Add the spices, lemons juice, oil salt and peper and harissa if you wish( if you donr have harriosa and would like to add that extra spice, add red crusghed peopers.

Mix well and serve.

These two salad are power house of nutriounts, fibers vitamin.., anti oxifanats and liver detoxifing spices.

My mom served them as tapas before the main course along side chopped vegetable salads, hummos, thini, and fresh baked pita bread.